Archer
Archer was a young female butterfly living in the Darklands. Like all butterfly people, she did not have a proper name; Four assigned the nickname Archer as a convenient shorthand due to her skill with her weapon of choice, and he would continue to use the name to identify her. Archer was slender, even by butterfly standards, with brightly-colored orange wings and black hair. She was very talented with a bow and arrow, having honed her skills for at least one hundred years. Early Life In her youth, when the moths started to present themselves as a threat, Archer had come to the butterfly princess, Mariposa, and asked for training in the use of a weapon. Mariposa had suggested a small dagger or bolo, as befitting one of her stature and strength, but Archer had picked a longbow and had demonstrated remarkable proficiency. When the moths attacked, Archer killed the moth leader Flazzah with a single shot, turning the tide of the battle. The Lost Treasure of Torlynn Archer was among the butterflies who were captured by the moths after they learned the location of the secret butterfly grotto. When the moths were accosted en route to their home by human soldiers from Torlynn, the surviving butterflies were taken to the castle dungeon. Archer and the others were later freed by Mariposa and her human companion, Four. The Quest for the World-Breaker Archer was the first to detect Brian Devonhyre's approach after Four sent him to the butterfly grotto to ask for Mariposa's assistance in defending Angel's Crossing from a moth attack. She subsequently whacked Four across the face with her bow for allowing another human to learn of the grotto's existence in the first place. Archer protested Mariposa's decision to return to Torlynn castle to function as their Queen, citing her confusion and fear and inability to function with so few butterflies remaining. Following Mariposa's discovery of a second butterfly colony, Archer extended an apology to Four, having set aside her previous hatred of humans. She even admitted a certain attraction to Brian Devonhyre, despite his muscular physique being considerably different than the butterfly males to which she was accustomed. The Curse of the Fate Shifter After relocating to the new butterfly settlement, Archer spent two seasons there before celebrating her her coming-of-age ceremony. She had probably been ready for the ceremony for several seasons, but she had delayed it in order to continue her battle training with Mariposa, reasoning that she would not have time for such things once she had a newborn caterpillar to care for. Eventually, she had been forced to postpone her training due to the vast number of chores she had been asked to carry out as an able-bodied member of the settlement. During her ceremony, she engaged in an aerial dance with several prospective suitors until finally selecting Taylor, who had telepathically promised to dote on her and allow her to rest while she grew their child inside of her. The notion held immense appeal for her, particularly since she had been working so hard for the benefit of the settlement. Following the death of Taylor, Archer would not speak to Mariposa, blaming her for Taylor's death. She was content to glare furiously at her from across the room. The Veil of Souls Archer feared for the future of the butterflies under the rulership of Gusano, the spawn of Mariposa. Considering him a petulant child, she conspired against him in secrecy, planning to befriend him and gain his trust so she could eventually carry his child and then kill him. Behind the Scenes Archer first appeared in A Butterfly's Tale, but her unofficial name was not assigned until The Quest for the World-Breaker. Category:Persons Category:Butterflies Category:Warriors